Kimberly Rodriguez of Mexico and Luisa Delgado of Mexico look dejected after they lose during the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup Jordan 2016 Quarter Final match between Mexico and Venezuela at Amman International Stadium on October 12, 2016 in Amman, Jordan. (Photo by Christopher Lee - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

by Pablo Sanchez, AIPS Young Reporter, Spain

AMMAN, October 12, 2016- The Mexican
national team couldn’t make their dream come true. Had they won against
Venezuela, they would have become the first women’s national team to qualify for
a World Cup semifinal. But when they were winning 1-0, five bad minutes and a
brilliant performance from Deyna Castellanos, who scored twice, sent Mexico
home.

“It was a difficult result for us. The game
was clear at the beginning, we managed to get the goal, but their tactics
worked really well. It’s hard to defend against a player like Castellanos, she
moves all over the pitch. Her style of play disrupted our game, she played very
well with and without the ball,” Mexico coach Christopher Cuéllar said after
the game.

Venezuela’s fast reaction in the first half
was the key: two goals in five minutes helped the Vinotinto reach the semis. “I
think that we didn’t have the chances that we expected to have. At the second
half we had more possession, but we didn’t have so many opportunities to
score”, Cuéllar added.

Too much excitement can lead to distraction
and ultimately to defeat. That was one of the things the Mexican team discovered
at Amman International Stadium, Cuéllar pointed: “Exactly what we tried to
prevent is what happened. For upcoming competitions we must work on our
emotions more. It is a long process and we only can forget this match by
working hard”, he concluded.